Haven Empire

Haven Empire (en)
Imperio Haven (es)
Haven Reich (de)
へヴァン帝国 (ja)
Haven Empire (en); Imperio Haven (es); Haven Reich (de); へヴァン帝国 (ja)
	Flag Coat of arms
	Motto: "Protect, Expand, Glorify"
	Anthem: Hymn of Haven
	; West Coast of North America, Great Lakes region, Mississippi Delta and Gulf Coast
Capital	Haven City (de jure); San Dover (de facto)
Largest city	Kras City
Official languages	English, Spanish, German, Japanese
Demonym(s)	Haven
Government	Havenist state
• Premier	_
• Grand Councilman of the Haven Empire	_
Legislature	Grand Council of the Haven Empire
Establishment	27 November 2007
Population
• ; Census data for 2012 and 2013 were lost or destroyed; census data has not been collected since 2013. census	1,209 (May 2011)
Currency	American dollar ($)
Time zone	Central Standard Time (UTC-6) in Forestan and Superior,; Pacific Standard Time (UTC-8) in Haven and Independent Union

The Haven Empire is a state claiming sovereignty over much of North America. It has 28 settlements throughout its claimed territory, which is divided into four provinces.

Etymology

Originally misspelled as "Haeven", the name "Haven" comes from its definition as "a safe place". The term "empire" was chosen because it is made up of conquered land and various peoples, and the executive branch is stronger than the legislative branch.

History

Republic of Forestan

In 1999, a group of farmers in Mississippi declared independence from the United States and founded the Republic of Forestan. They built the town of Forestae as their capital. It was abandoned in 2002 after their President died of a heart attack.

Independent Union

In 2003, three secessionist groups from the Pacific Northwest joined together and formed the Independent Union. In February of 2008, they attacked the Haven Empire, but were defeated and annexed.

Territory of Haeven

In early 2004, a group of children created the Secret Service Kids. In September 2006, they founded the settlement of Apollo. The SSK became involved in a gang war that lasted until January 2008. In September 2007, the Haeven Military Force was created to fight in the gang war.

Early Haven Empire

On 27 November 2007, the Haven Empire was founded with Apollo as the capital. The SSK's name was changed to Secret Service of Kalifornia. The Haven Air Force and Haven Naval Force were created in December 2007 and February 2008, respectively. The Independent Union attacked Apollo on 25 February 2008, but was defeated on March 5th. The settlement of Spargus was founded in May. After repeated gang attacks and a large group of people leaving, Apollo was destroyed on June 12 and the capital was moved to Spargus. Kras City, Iceland, Ultima, San Dover, and Omega were built in succession from August 2008 to June 2009. San Dover was founded near the site of a future Haven City and made de jure capital. On 29 June 2009, Corporal Nicolaus Litovsk of the Freedom League Guard killed the serial killer known as the Beast of Kras City.

2009-2011 expansion

From March to June 2009, the Haven Empire fought with and conquered a group of Slavs in Nevada. In August 2009, the former Republic of Forestan was annexed. On December 5, the settlements of Forestein, Augusta, and Foresta were founded in Forestan. On December 30, a secessionist group in Alabama joined the Haven Empire and formed the Province of Alabama. Similarly, groups from New England, Texas, Colorado, and the Great Lakes joined the Haven Empire. Within the following three years, all of these new provinces, except Forestan and Superior, would fall apart and be disbanded. The settlements of Anarchia and Germania were founded. In November, a trade agreement was made with the People's Republic of China. On 20 March 2011, an avalanche destroyed the settlement of Iceland.

Libyan Civil War

On February 28, 2011, the Haven Empire and the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya signed the Haven-Libyan Mutual Military Assistance Treaty. Soon afterwards, HMF, HNF, and Police Forces were sent to Libya. They participated in the Libyan army's capture of Zawiya, Misrata, Brega, and Ajdabiya, attacked rebels outside of Benghazi, and fired anti-aircraft missiles at NATO planes and a helicopter. Most Haven forces began to withdraw before the fall of Tripoli. The last unit to leave was a platoon of Premier Guard who departed Sirte on September 30.

Haven Marine Corps rebellion

In late October 2012, the Haven Marine Corps was formed by taking the landing craft and sailors from the HNF and the amphibious assault troops from the FLG. From November to December, the HMC raided a number of towns on the Baja California Peninsula. The people were forced to pledge allegiance to the Commandant of the HMC. On January 3, 2013, the HMC occupied the Haven settlement of Daskögrad and overthrew the local government. They proclaimed the "Province of Baja" and declared their Commandant to be the "Governor". The HMF and HNF immediately responded by recapturing Daskögrad.

2013 to present

There had always been a fear of infiltration in the Haven Empire, and in August and October 2013 two American infiltrators were discovered. This led to a radical response, as the government ordered citizens to go into hiding and many documents destroyed.

Geography

The Haven Empire claims the West Coast of North America, the Great Lakes Region, and the Mississippi Delta and Gulf Coast. The land varies from temperate forests to deserts to swamps.

Provinces

There are currently four provinces and four former provinces.

Independent Union - Predating the Haven Empire itself, the Independent Union is its oldest province. It declared independence from Canada and the United States on March 23, 2003. After being defeated in the Indie War of February and March 2008, the Independent Union was annexed by the Haven Empire. It is unique among the other provinces in retaining its distinct culture. It claims the American states of Oregon and Washington as well as the Canadian province of British Columbia south of the 55th parallel and the Peace River. The provincial capital is Zeptizor.
Haven - The first of the provinces, it was originally established as the "Territory of Haeven" on September 29, 2006. It was renamed "Province of Haven" on November 27, 2007 with the establishment of the Haven Empire. It is home to the majority of Haven settlements. It claims the American states of California and Nevada as well as the Mexican states of Baja California and Baja California Sur. The provincial capital is Spargus.
Forestan - The Republic of Forestan was a short-lived secessionist movement in the late 1990s. In August of 2009, the former site was annexed by the Haven Empire as the Province of Forestan. On December 5 of the same year, three new settlements were incorporated; this day is now remembered as a national holiday celebrating the founding of all Haven settlements. Forestan has been given the nickname of the "Lacking Province" due to it having the lowest population, lowest productivity, and lowest activity in the whole country. It claims the American states of Mississippi and Alabama, the state of Louisiana east of the Mississippi River, and the state of Florida west of the Chatahoochie River. The provincial capital is Forestae.
Alabama (former) - On December 30, 2009, a secessionist group in the American state of Alabama agreed to join the Haven Empire and formed the Province of Alabama. Sometime in early 2011, the province collapsed and was annexed by Forestan. It claimed the American state of Alabama and the state of Florida west of the Chatahoochie River.
New England (former) - In early 2010, a secessionist group in the American state of New Jersey agreed to join the Haven Empire and formed the Province of New England. Sometime in early 2013, the province collapsed and was disbanded. It claimed the American states of New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec east of the Saint Lawrence River.
Superior - In mid 2010, a secessionist group in the American state of Michigan agreed to join the Haven Empire and formed the Province of Superior. They have built settlements in Northern and Southern Michigan as well as Southern Ontario, Canada. It claims the American state of Michigan and parts of the states of Wisconsin and Minnesota, and the southern half of the Canadian province of Ontario. The provincial capital is Superior.
Colorado (former) - In mid 2010, a group of Havens migrated to the American states of Colorado and New Mexico and declared the Province of Colorado. Sometime in early 2013, the province collapsed and was disbanded. It claimed the American states of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah.
Texas (former) - In early 2011, a group of Texan nationalists agreed to join the Haven Empire and formed the Province of Texas. Sometime in early 2012, the province collapsed and was disbanded. It claimed the American states of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and the state of Louisiana west of the Mississippi River.
Baja (unrecognized) - The Baja California Peninsula is part of the Province of Haven. From November to December 2012, the Haven Marine Corps raided the towns of the peninsula and forced their people to pledge allegiance to the Commandant of the HMC. They marched into the Haven settlement of Daskögrad and overthrew the government, declaring the "Province of Baja" with their Commandant as the "Governor". The rebellion was crushed and the province was rejected.

Settlements

The 28 settlements, by Province and age:

Independent Union

Zeptizor, British Columbia
Independence, Oregon
Fort Saint Louis, Washington
Neuveaux Nantes, British Columbia

Haven

Apollo, California
Spargus, Nevada
Kras City, California
Iceland, California
Ultima, California
San Dover, California
Omega, California
Anarchia, California
Germania, California
Vodagrad, Nevada
Goragrad, Nevada
Marauder Kremlin, Nevada
Daskögrad, Baja California
Vostok Hamburg, Baja California
Haven City, California

Forestan

Forestae, Mississippi
Forestein, Mississippi
Augusta, Mississippi
Foresta, Mississippi
Pinelake, Mississippi

Superior

Superior, Wisconsin
Saint Mary, Ontario
Great Lakes, Michigan
Snowden, Ontario

Climate

Demographics

While there is no census data that records race or language, it can be assumed that there are majorities of European and Hispanic decent with minorities of Africans and Asians, with English being predominately spoken with large minorities speaking Spanish or French. The major religions are Christianity (Protestantism, Catholicism) and Atheism/Agnosticism. There is also a very small minority of Buddhists and Muslims.

Population

There is no current census data for population, but there is still earlier census data. It can be assumed that the population continued to rise until late 2013 and is now significantly lower.

September 2006 - 47 (founding of Apollo)
November 2007 - 138 - 193.6% increase
May 2008 - 254 - 84.1% increase
September 2008 - 223 - 12.2% decrease
January 2009 - 312 - 39.9% increase
June 2009 - 404 - 29.5% increase
December 2009 - 540 - 33.7% increase
March 2010 - 768 - 42.2% increase
May 2011 - 1,209 - 57.4% increase
2012 - lost
2013 - lost
2014–present - not collected

Culture

Symbols

National seal - The national seal is a red and black yin-yang. It "spins" counter-clockwise, with the black on the right (symbolizing the Anarchist past moving behind us) and red on the left (symbolizing the Communist present and future moving forward). The symbol as a whole represents the balance between the government (red) and the military (black), with the red and black dots representing the Premier (head of the military) and the Grand Councilman (head of the government), respectively. This symbol is often seen on uniforms, equipment, and vehicles.

Government seal - The government seal is a red and black nautical star surrounded by a red ring. Black is on the right and red is on the left like the national seal. The star itself represents the leadership of the government. The five arms of the star represent the Premier, the Grand Council, the Haven Military Force, the Secret Service of Kalifornia, and the workers. The red ring represents the unity of the people of the Haven Empire. It is also used as the symbol of the Haven Communist Party. This symbol is often seen on headgear and government buildings.
Coat of Arms - The Coat of Arms is a black European-style dragon with the government seal on its chest and clutching the national seal with its feet. The dragon's head faces left with its mouth open, and breathes fire during wartime. The dragon symbolizes strength and dominance. The government seal is above the national seal to symbolize that the government leads the nation. This symbol is only found on documents.
National flag - The Haven flag is a banner with a black background and a red border. The red border intersects near the bottom of the flag to form a trapezoid, leaving two black right triangles. The government and national seals are placed vertically in the center of the flag, with the national seal above the government seal, symbolizing that although the government leads the nation, the nation is supreme. No flag is placed above the national flag, and only other national or international organizational flags may fly equal to it. When not flying, the flag is folded into a square with the national seal on one side and the government seal on the other.
National motto - The national motto, "Protect, Expand, Glorify", is a shortened version of the mission statement of the HMF: "To Protect, Expand, and Glorify the Haven Empire and its territories".
Military - The symbol of the Haven Military Force is a Mercator projection of the lines of longitude and latitude in sky blue on a white background. The symbol of the Haven Air Force and Haven Naval Force is the same but is a perfect circle, with the HAF symbol adding wings. On Flag Day, Constitution Day, and Haven Day, the HMF will display a red and black version (the background is red).

Customs and courtesies

Military salute - All citizens render a military salute to military personnel in uniform. A military salute is rendered to the Premier even when they are out of uniform. When a proper military salute is rendered, one will place their heels together with their feet separated by a 45° angle. They will then move their right hand to their face, with the tip of their middle finger touching the end of their eyebrow, palm facing their face, and fingers adjoined. When wearing headgear, the tip of their middle finger will touch the brim of their headgear. The other person will also render a salute, and the first person may only drop their salute after the saluted drops theirs.
Civil salute - All citizens and military personnel render a civil salute to members of the government. When a proper civil salute is rendered, one will place their heels together with their feet separated by a 45° angle. They will then move their left hand to their right collar bone, with their thumb parallel to their collar bone, fingers adjoined. The other person will also render a salute, and the first person may only drop their salute after the saluted drops theirs.
National anthem and flag raising - Whenever the national anthem plays, anyone who can hear it must face the source of the anthem and render a military salute until its completion. Whenever the national flag is being raised or lowered, anyone who can see it must face the flag and render a military salute until the flag has fully ascended or descended the flag pole.
Oath of loyalty - When becoming a citizen, a soldier, or an officer, one must recite the Haven oath of loyalty: "I will to the Premier be true and faithful, to embrace our national ideals, to uphold our laws, and to protect, expand, and glorify the Haven Empire and its territories so long as I shall live".

Language

There are four official languages of the Haven Empire: English, Spanish, German, and Japanese. English and Spanish were adopted because of their status as the common languages of the people. German was adopted because of it's extensive use in the military. Japanese was adopted because of the difficulty of machine translating it (security). They also adopted the Precursor alphabet (called Haven script) for additional security. While French is an official language in the Independent Union, it has not been accepted by the national government.

Although they have not invented their own language, a number of Haven slang words have come into use. One of the most prolific is the masculine "Daskö" and feminine "Daska", meaning "comrade". There is also a tendency to capitalize some common nouns when writing.

National holidays

January 1, New Years - Celebration of the new year.
March 5, Indie Day - Celebration of the victory in the Indie War.
April 20, Ideological Freedom Day - Celebration of the right to or from ideology.
May 1, Labor Day - Celebration of workers.
May 5, Flag Day - Celebration of our Haven citizenship.
June 12, Decline Day - Rememberance of the abandonment of Apollo.
June 29, Litovsk Day - Celebration of CPL Nicolaus Litovsk stopping the Beast of Kras City.
July 3–10, Haven Exposition - Celebration of Haven culture.
September 20, Memorial Day - Rememberance of fallen soldiers, sailors, and airmen.
October 10, Armed Forces Day - Celebration of the military.
November 11, Veterans Day - Celebration of those who have fought.
November 26, Constitution Day - Celebration of the creation of the Haven Constitution.
November 27, Haven Day - Celebration of the founding of the Haven Empire.
December 5, Expansion Day - Celebration of the founding of Haven settlements.
December 11–30, Religious Freedom Month - Celebration of the right to or from religion.

Government

The Haven government is divided into an Executive and a Legislative branch, as well as sub divided into national, provincial, and settlement levels. Both branches work together as a pseudo-Judicial branch. It is a unique system, dubbed Havenism, that could be described as a combination of Council Communism, Despotism, and Militarism.

National level

Executive - The Executive branch is headed by the Premier of the Haven Empire. The first Premier was elected by the Grand Council, while successive Premiers are chosen by their predecessor. The Premier wields absolute authority and has the last say in all matters, however the Grand Council usually handles most things.
Legislative - The Legislative branch at the national level is the Grand Council of the Haven Empire. According to the Haven Constitution, the role of the Grand Council is to be "the voice of the people" and advise the Premier. Although the Premier can overrule the Grand Council, they possess the same level of authority over the country. 13 Grand Councilmen are elected by the provincial Grand Councils to serve year-long terms. The Grand Council elects one of themselves to be Grand Councilman of the Haven Empire.

Provincial level

Executive - The Executive branch is headed by a Prime Minister (a President in the Independent Union). The Prime Minister is elected by the citizens of their province for three-year terms.
Legislative - The Legislative branch at the provincial level are the provincial Grand Councils (the Supreme Soviet in the Independent Union). The number of Councilmen vary from province to province, depending on population and number of settlements. They are elected by the City Councils for two-year terms.

Settlement level

Executive - The Executive branch is headed by a Mayor. The Mayor is elected by the citizens of their settlement for four-year terms. The Mayor acts as a tie breaker for the City Council.
Legislative - The Legislative branch at the settlement level are the City Councils. There are 12 Councilmen who are elected by the citizens of their settlement for three-year terms.

Election process

At all levels, the election process is the same. Anyone can run for an office; there are no requirements. A candidate simply needs a majority of the votes to win, so for example if there are two candidates then one only needs 51% of the votes; if there are three candidates they would need 34% of the votes, and etc. Once they win the election, they must also pass the written Leadership Competency Test which deals with political, military, economic, and social issues. The LCT has multiple choice and essay questions that were created by the Premier and the Grand Councilman of the Haven Empire. If the winner fails to score 70%, then the runner-up is given the LCT.

In the Independent Union

The Independent Union is a special case as, after being annexed by the Haven Empire in March 2008, all of their institutions were left mostly intact. Therefore, they continue to operate as they did before annexation but now answer to the Haven national government. They maintain their old military and their official languages are French and English.

National level - At the national level, three seats are reserved on the Grand Council for the representatives of the Independent Union, who are chosen by their Supreme Soviet.
Provincial level - At their former national level, they have a President and a Supreme Soviet. The President is elected by the Supreme Soviet for five-year terms. The Supreme Soviet has 45 seats, 11 for each of the major settlements and an extra from the capital. The representatives are elected for three-year terms.
Settlement level - At the settlement level, their settlements have a Mayor and a Soviet. All citizens are a member of the Soviet, and they elect the Mayor.

International relations

The Haven Empire typically avoids contact with other nations. In respect to what would be dubbed "micronations", the Haven Empire has usually annexed them. However, it had friendly relations with the People's Republic of Mandania and the Communist People's Republic of Strathy and had mutual recognition with them. As for "macronations", the Haven Empire was ignored when it declared independence. However, they were able to make a trade agreement with the People's Republic of China and a defensive pact with the Socialist People's Libyan Jamahiriyah. The Haven Empire does not recognize the Libyan rebels or the so-called "Islamic State".

Military

"Haven Military Force", or "HMF", is used as an umbrella term for the Haven military; when discussing specific branches of the military, however, it only refers to the army. There are four branches of the military: the Haven Military Force, the Haven Naval Force, the Haven Air Force, and the Police Forces.

Police Forces

"Police Forces" is an umbrella term for the various small, highly specialized units that may or may not answer to one of the other branches. For example, the Premier Guard operates completely independently, while the Haven Armored Division is part of the HMF.

List of Police Forces (in order of establishment):

Independent Armée - Military of the Independent Union.
Independent Marine - Navy of the Independent Union.
Underground - Special branch of the SSK specializing in infiltration.
Haven Armored Division - Almost all Haven ground vehicles are under the command of the HAD.
Desert Troopers - Elite unit specializing in desert warfare.
Premier Guard - Elite unit that guards government buildings and personnel, as well as conducting black operations.
Krimzon Guard - Acts as police in all settlements.
Freedom League Guard - Elite unit specializing in amphibious assault and defense of naval assets.
Snow Troopers - Elite unit specializing in winter and mountain warfare.
Forestani Guerrillas - Provincial militia of Forestan.
Fire Brigade - Elite unit specializing in incendiary weaponry.
Army of New England (disbanded) Provincial militia of New England.
Haven Wehrmacht - Militia of the settlement of Germania.
Superior Guard - Provincial militia of Superior.
Mountain Troopers (disbanded) - Provincial militia of Colorado.
Haven Marine Corps (disbanded) - Elite unit specializing in amphibious assault.

Intelligence

The Secret Service of Kalifornia, or SSK, conducts all intelligence and counter-intelligence operations for the Haven Empire. The SSK often works hand-in-hand with the military and the government.

The Director of the SSK orchestrates all operations and reports to the national government. The Director is appointed by the Premier.
There are seven Secretaries, who each head a Department. There are the Departments of War, Defense, Civil Affairs, Internal Affairs, Weather, and the special Departments of the Underground and Operation Young Crossroads.
Physical areas of operation are called Fields, and a Handler is in charge of operations in the Field. They organize collected data and report to their respective Secretary. Handlers also work with the local government.
Field Agents collect data and report to their respective Handler. There could be as many as 20 or as few as two Field Agents assigned to a Handler depending on the mission.

Security

The Haven Empire has gone to extremes to protect itself. Aside from creating a military for physical protection, they have adopted several tactics to protect themselves in other ways. The most extreme is the Evidence Laws: three laws that prohibit the photography, videography, and audio recording of Haven settlements and military assets for any reason. People are searched for recording devices before being allowed to enter Haven settlements. They have also adopted the practice of writing documents in either Japanese or with Haven script. Part of the Haven education system are mandatory classes on security which emphasize the seriousness of being compromised. The classes also teach citizens anti-infiltration tactics.

Economy

The Haven Empire has a Communistic economy, whereby the means of production are owned by the government and workers are paid in food, supplies, and services. The government uses American dollars to buy and sell products and materials, but citizens do not use money within Haven territory. For example the main export of Apollo is granite. Workers would cut blocks of granite, which would then be sold to American companies that make granite tiles or tabletops. The money would then be added to the settlement funds, which the settlement government would spend on medicine, batteries, food, etc. This would then be distributed to every household. Workers who performed poorly or didn't work at all may receive fewer or no supplies.

Haven settlements usually have very segregated layouts. The typical divisions are the Residential Zone, Commercial District, Agricultural Area, and Industrial Sector.

Education

The Haven education system is run by the Haven Communist Party. The HCP creates curriculum for subjects that it deems necessary for all Haven citizens to have access to. There are classes in history, geography, security, agriculture, government, foreign languages, manufacturing, and the "Introductory Haven Course" which teaches Haven culture to new citizens. The HCP also provides a basic military class, but more advanced classes are only taught by the HMF.

References